You Flaming Idiot, I Love You!
by muzicft4ever
Summary: This story is about 2 boys named Natsu and Gray, and they're rivals, but they secretly like each other because of an incident a year ago. In this story they express their feelings for each other and go through many hardships, but it's pretty kawaii though. Read to find what happens, trust me it's worth it! Mild Fluff Yaoi Natsu x Gray story. There's always a new chapter in process!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Gray's Secret

Gray's POV

I wake up, grumbling. Why is it so hard to wake up in the morning? I sit up in my bed, stretching, and throw the covers off of me, climbing out of the bed. I guess I go to the guild? There's no evil villians to stop right now, which means jobs? I think of Natsu at the thought and shake him out of my head. Geez, that flame brain always sneaks into my thoughts, he's too cute. Oh yeah, let me explain myself.

Usually you'd see us fight all the time, well, we do, but that's because I don't want the others knowing that I actually like him. They'd think I'm crazy and I'd freeze myself to death if that happened. Putting that aside, about a year ago, we got into a big fight. At that time I didn't like him and we were fighting mercilessly, trying to win, but after a few hours of fighting, he fell on top of me, nose to nose. And then the world seemed to stop, stuff like that, so I pushed him off of me, stalking off, my face burning up.

Right now I'm trying to keep my feelings under control, and it's working, thank god tobacco king's dumb. I walk out of my bedroom door, not bothering to put clothes on, and exit my one story house. Who needs clothes? They're so itchy and I hate wearing them, they make you too warm. Well, I'm an Ice Mage, but still. I hate it though when Cana says that I'm naked in front of everyone, but I don't really care...

Soon, I get to the giant building of Fairy Tail, it's spires towering over me, gigantic wooden doors looming above me, and I push open the doors to see a fight going on, but I ignore it, walking to the usual table I sit at, scowling. "Hey, Gray! Why aren't you in the fight?" Lucy asks me, and I sit, down, explaining, "I dunno, I guess I don't feel like fighting right now." I watch as the flame ass beats up everyone, causing me to grin. Of course that guy wins. I quickly look away as he walks up to us, an adorable goofy grin plastered on his face, and he declares proudly, "I won!" "Nice, Natsu!" Lucy smiles, and then he looks at me, glaring, asking, "Why didn't you fight with me, snow cone?" "Just go away, you dumb flaming monster," I mutter, and my heart starts to beat faster as he walks up to me, still glaring at me, and he says, annoyed, "Why are you acting weird today? Maybe this'll help!" He smirks as he hits me on the head and I stand up, getting annoyed now. "What the hell, why don't you leave me alone, you idiot, I have my own life you know!" I snap, and he watches me in shock as I walk out the door, scowling.

Natsu's POV

I just wanted to mess with him a bit, I guess I took it too far. I sigh, sitting down next to Lucy, and she asks me, "What's wrong? Oh, is it about Gray?" You'll probably think I'm crazy, but yeah, I actually like him, and Lucy knows. "Yeah, I guess," I reply, and Lucy suggests, "Maybe you should apologize to him." "He'll think I'm a pyscho if I apologize to him!" I rest my chin on my left palm, scowling, and she smiles, saying, "You could try, he might like you just as you do, Natsu!" "S-shut up! That's never going to happen!" I stammer, face red, and she laughs. "Why don't you try once?" I look at her, and she leans towards me, her smile widening, and I finally say, "Fine!" "You can do it, Natsu!" She cheers as I stand up, annoyed, but also really nervous. He's probably going to think I'm crazy, but I'm not letting down my best friend. I gulp, and walk out the door, crossing my fingers.

I look around, the fresh air surrounding me, and I don't see him. Where is that ice stripper... I wander off, walking down a concrete road filled with shops on each side of it. Nope, not here... I keep walking, scowling. Is there a problem about liking a guy? I always see couples of a boy and girl, never a boy and a boy. Would anyone care? I can't help but liking Gray, wait, did I just- Never mind... I scratch my head, looking around until I spot the raven haired guy sitting over at a bench by the park. I bite my lip, shakily walking to him, nervous of what his reaction will be. He senses me walking towards him and he looks up in disbelief, his onyx eyes staring into mine, causing my face to redden. Lucy, you idiot! I scowl, quickening my pace, and when I'm a few yards away from him, he asks, "What the hell are you doing here?" "I um..." I look away, unsure of what to say, and he stands up, confused of what was happening. "Look, I just wanted to apologize about what I did before," I say, and he stares at me in shock as I turn to walk away, and he slowly says, "It's... Fine..." I look up in surprise, turning back, and we ask each other, "Did you just say that?!" I blink in astonishment, staring at him, and he blushes, replying, "Yes I did, now why are you here?" He... Blushed? No, that's probably my mind tricking with me. "Because I wanted to apologize?" I ask him. I can't believe we're talking like this... "Why are you apologizing to me? We always fight," he stares at me in suspicion, causing me to quickly say, "Lucy wanted me to! I'm going to go now, we're still enemies you know!" I turn around, glaring ahead, storming off onto the concrete street, feeling Gray's stare on me.

Gray's POV

What?! "Fine, you idiot, keep running! I don't care!" I yell, watching him run off. Okay, maybe I do. I can't believe that Natsu actually apologized, we were actually talking with each other for a few minutes. He's so cute when he's flustered, but then again he makes me blush so easily. He better not know that I like him! I get up, scowling, and subconsciously walk to the guild to have breakfast. I feel like I have to talk to someone... Definitely not Juvia, even though I think she's pretty cool, she always helps me with stuff, but I feel like sometimes she stalks me... Erza's too scary, so that leaves Lucy or Mira. Eh, I think Lucy would be better, I trust her more because I've spent more time with her because we're in a lot of missions together. I get up, scratching my head, and start to walk towards the guild in the distance. Maybe if Natsu was there I could ask why he even agreed to apologize to me, that seems really strange. I almost run into the guild doors so I quickly snap out of my thinking mode, kicking the doors open in irritation revealing the massive room and people bustling about, hastily carrying plates, some eating at the tables scattered around the area, and I walk in hungrily, smelling breakfast. As I pass the table where I usually sit with, I feel Natsu's stare on me, causing myself to quicken my pace, and I snatch a plate quickly, piling it high with pancakes, bacon, and eggs, then walk back to my table. I set my plate as far away from Natsu as I can, who's at the corner sitting next to Lucy, and start to eat, devouring the tasty dish. "How's everyone's morning?" Erza asks, sitting down with her back straight up, so I straighten myself a bit realizing I was slouching, and Lucy starts, "I found Natsu in my bed again, Happy on my sofa as usual, he pushed me onto the floor while I was sleeping!" That idiot... Everyone laughs and Natsu protests, "Hey, your bed is comfortable! There's not enough room for both of us!" Lucy's face reddens, causing myself to blink a few times. Lucy... Likes Natsu also? I frown, stuffing an egg whole into my mouth, but Erza asks, "Gray, how did your morning go?" I freeze, not knowing what to say, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Lucy smile and Natsu looking away, scowling, so I gulp down my food and say, "Well, nothing big really happened but Lucy told the flame idiot to apologize to me, and he actually did." "WHAT?!" The people in the guild yell causing me to drop my pancake, the thing plopping on the floor, and Natsu quickly explains, "I can't refuse my best friend!" "That's right!" Lucy high fives Natsu, but I sense something else from the guy. Hate? Confusement? Embarrassment? He's probably embarrassed for sure, who would apologize to their rival? I realize my plate is empty, so I eye Lucy, who's eating a sausage link, and sigh, getting up, and walk over to her, saying, "Jalapeno, back off, I need to talk to Lucy for a bit." "I'm not moving, snow cone!" The annoying pinkette shoots back, and Lucy says quickly, "Here, I'll move." Natsu eyes me sternly, causing myself to bite my lip, but he turns back to eat another pancake. Lucy follows me to a dark corner, and she asks me, "So, what do you want to tell me?" "Um... Can I trust you with a really deep secret?" I ask her, and she nods vigorously, her eyes wide with excitement, so I gulp, then say, "I... I well... Let's just say I have feelings for Natsu." Her mouth slowly opens, then her eyeballs literally pop out, and she yells, "This is amazing!" "Shut it!" I snap, and she quickly shuts her mouth, remembering it was a secret, so she nods slowly, trying to contain her excitement, and I ask her, "So, uh, why did Na- Sorry, why did that rabid monkey even agree to apologize to me? I don't believe his excuse, what kind of person would apologize to their rival?" Lucy starts saying, "Well Natsu l-" She clamps her hand over her mouth in alarm, and I ask, "What about him?" "Well... Maybe he's softening up a bit," Lucy smiles and I watch her in suspicion as she skips off, giggling in excitement.

"Maybe Lucy wasn't the right person to say it to, and what was up with the last part?" I mutter, walking towards the door, but out of the corner of my eye I see the pink haired animal walk up to me quickly, so I turn to him, asking, "What is it now?" "What did you say to Lucy?" He asks suspiciously and I quickly say, blushing, "Y-you don't need to know!" "Come on, tell me or I'll set you to flames!" He growls, and I reply, "No." "Tell me." "Nope." "Tell. Me." "Nuh uh." "Tell me you stubborn snow princess!" "Shut up!" "Come on, I'll do something for you-" "Zipping your chatterbox mouth up would be wonderful," I sarcastically say, glaring at him, and he snaps back, "Not that!" "I'm not telling you! It's a secret!" I turn away, but he knocks me on the ground, my chest smashing against the hardwood floor causing myself to make a surprised sound, and Natsu growls, "Tell me." "Geez, you're as persistent as hell," I mutter, shooting him off my back, causing him to land on the ground behind me, his sandals screeching against the polished floor, and I say, "Look, if you're this persistent..." I run towards him, charging my fist with magic. "Eat ice!" I punch him in the stomach, causing him to make a strangled sound, falling to the ground, my hand covered in ice, but I gulp, realizing I took it too far as Master walks up to me with a not-so-happy face. "Gray, you idiot, fighting with magic is NOT allowed! You could've hurt Natsu severely!" Master scolds me, and I sigh, apologizing, "Sorry, Master..." He makes an irritated sound, but says, "Look, it's always good to have some fun with your comrades, just don't take it too far." I watch him walk away as Natsu gets up, glaring at me, his pointy teeth flashing, and I gulp. Well, this is wonderful, just wonderful.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The So Called "Job"

I freeze as Natsu charges towards me, and he crashes into me, causing the doors to open, and I fall onto the concrete, grunting, and he taunts, "Bring it, you demented exhibitionist!" "Fine, you annoying little brat!" I jump up, kicking him in the process, but he blocks it, retaliating with a punch to the face, but suddenly Erza takes us by the neck, then smashes our heads together, causing myself to make a sound of pain, and we fall to the floor, groaning as Erza snaps, "Stop fighting you two! You're making chaos when I'm trying to eat my cake!" Oh god, her cake. "Sorry, Erza..." Natsu sheepishly gets up, scratching his head, and Erza says, "As a punishment, you two will be sent on a job together!" My jaw drops, and Natsu and I lock gazes in horror. What have I gotten myself into... I'm so gonna lose it on this job. "Here is the flier!" She holds out a piece of paper, and Natsu and I stand there, looking at it like it's our demise. "Take it, or else you have to fight me!" She threatens, so Natsu quickly takes it, looking at the ground in utter shock, and I sigh, saying, "We have to do it now?" "Yes, it's just a little one, you guys can do it easily," she walks away, but I sense that there's something behind this. Okay... Well I'm going to die. "Come on, you weak pinky head," I mutter, trying to act nonchalant, but inside alarms are going off EVERYWHERE. "Ugh, fine you lead, squinty eyes," Natsu answers, looking up at me, and I turn around, walking out of the building, Natsu following me.

Natsu's POV

This is going to be a disaster! "What do we need to do?" I ask, biting my lip, and Gray answers, "Here, it says to open the envelope attached to the back of it." I quicken my pace so I'm walking on the side of him, and he stops moving, tearing off the envelope from the flier, ripping it open, and I see a note with a ticket attached to it. "What does the note say?" I ask curiously, and Gray reads it out loud, "Go to Colossus Boulevard, and there you will find the house with the number that matches the ticket. Once you get to the house, leave the ticket at the doorstep. That will be where you guys are staying. Survive together for a day and we'll give you 10000 jewel... If you do not follow the job's direction, be prepared for a punishment from your friends, Erza and Mirajane, good luck. From Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane..."

Oh god, kill me now. "This is... This is a set-up!" Gray yells in anger, and I nod hopelessly, covering my face with my hands. This is worse than anything I've ever done before, I swear... "Look, let's try to get along just for today, otherwise I'm going to die," Gray says, starting to walk, and I nod silently. Gray is totally going to figure out that I like him, and then he's going to think I'm out of my mind and he'll give me strange looks for the rest of my life. This is great.

As we turn to the left in awkward silence, I say, "So, we're stuck together with nothing to do?" He nods, replying, "Yep, and it's all your fault." "How is it my fault?! You were the one who hit me!" I glare at him, and he shoots back, "You got on my nerves! Who wouldn't hit an irritating, persistent blabbering thing like you?!" "I was just curious, you friggin' ice chatterbox!" I shout, and Gray sighs, looking ahead in annoyance. Why did he even have to comment about it being my fault?! This guy... I bite my lip. Maybe it was my fault... I dunno, I guess I was being really annoying to him. Ugh, I want to be friends with him, but before we hated each other, so if I try to become friends with him the rest of the world will think I'm out of my mind. Besides, he probably still hates me, so I have no chance whatsoever.

"Okay, here's Colossus Boulevard," Gray finally says after walking for a few minutes, and we see the endless road of houses as we turn onto the road. "What number does the ticket have?" I ask him, and he answers, "Number 4983." "Here, I'll look at the houses on the left, you can look at the houses on the right," I tell him and he nods in agreement, causing me to blink a few times, and he asks, "What?" "N-nothing..." I say, drifting off into my thoughts. He actually listened to me... This is cra- I remember that Gray told me that we would get along just for this so we could get over it, so I shake the thoughts out of my head, concentrating on reading the numbers on the houses. 4951, 4953... As we're walking along the road I hear Gray suddenly say, "Found it!" I jump, and he laughs, causing my face to redden, scowling, but crack a small grin. I watch him drop the ticket on the porch, and I open the door in excitement to reveal a big room with a wooden table with 2 chairs, carpets covering parts of the hardwood floor, a kitchen with pots and pans hanging from a pole attached to the ceiling, then I see another door, excitedly running towards it, opening up the door, revealing a couch with a TV, and I see that there's a door to a bathroom, but stop in horror as I see that there's... 1 bed. "W-what the hell!" I shout in alarm, my face reddening and Gray quickly runs to me, asking, "What?" I point to the bed and he makes a strangled sound, standing there in shock, then mutters, "I hate you, Lucy."

Gray's POV

Well, this has gotten a million times worse. "So uh... You'll sleep on the couch?" Natsu asks, and I snap, "No, you're going to sleep on the couch!"

"I don't wanna!"

"You better!"

"I won't!"

"I'm not sleeping with you!"

"Yeah, so sleep on the couch!"

"The thing's too dang small for me!"

"I'm the same height as you, idiot! W-wait..."

We stare at each other in horror, and Natsu says grunting, "Fine, I'm sleeping on the floor..." I look at the floor, and comment, "Uh... I think millions of people walked on this floor, Natsu-" I clamp a hand over my mouth and he stares at me like I'm crazy. Shit, I screwed that up. "Forget I said that, are you really going to sleep on the floor? Why don't you sleep on the bed?" He's still staring at me but says, "You're already sleeping there." I don't know why, but I feel compelled to let him sleep on the bed. "I could sleep on the floor," I scowl, looking away, and he gives me another strange look, but continues, "No way, sleep on the bed." "Why? Don't you like sleeping in a bed?" I ask him, and he sighs, saying, "Look, would it hurt if we slept together? We can stay on seperate sides-" "N-no!" I shout, blushing, and he says, "You're such a scaredy-cat, Gray." H-he called me by my real name... "F-fine, we'll sleep in the bed, jeez," I give up, sitting down on the couch, but inside I feel like I'm going to faint. I'm probably going to die in embarrassment overnight.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Are We Still Enemies?

"So, what do we wanna do now?" Natsu asks me and I shrug, replying, "I dunno, you have any ideas?" "Well, we could watch a movie, or..." He drifts off, trying to think of another idea, I answer, "Okay, let's go to the movie theater." "Okay!" He grins goofily causing myself to grin, but I quickly bite my lip, forcing a straight face. I'm not going to get distracted, I just need to survive until tomorrow... "So, let's go?" He asks me and I nod, standing up, saying, "You lead."

I follow him, walking out of the bedroom, then we walk out of the house, closing the door, and I notice a slip of paper on the ground, so I pick it up. "What is that?" Natsu asks me, and I reply, "It's instructions... Like how to use the appliances here, also we get a coupon for whatever we want, that's cool." I fold the slip of paper and stuff it in my pocket, starting to walk, Natsu by my side. This is sort of... Weird. Natsu's never been walking by my side like this, and we're talking as if we're not enemies... I look at him, and he looks back at me, blinking a few times, and I bite my lip to stop myself from blushing, looking away. "So, uh, I know I said before we're enemies... Are we still, rivals?" Natsu asks, looking at the ground, and I say, "Yeah, we're just getting along for today, otherwise it would be pure torture." "Okay..." He drifts off, and I blink a few times. He seems... Disappointed at the thought? H-he wants to be friends with me?! I stare at him like he's crazy and he quickly snaps, "Stop it, I was just zoning out, you ice stalker!" "Fine, rosy head, let's just get this over with!" I shoot back, quickening my pace, and he walks behind me, feeling his glare on my head, causing myself to mentally sigh. Personally, I wish that we were friends, but this is the way it has to be.

I find myself standing in front of the double glass doors, so I push open the door, holding it out for Natsu, and see that he's lost in thought, looking at the floor in front of him while walking in, but he snaps out of it, looking at me in surprise, and makes an irritated sound, opening the door but holding it out for me, so I walk through, mentally thanking him. As the door shuts behind us, I walk to the front desk while Natsu sits down on the couch, watching me as I talk to the cashier. "Can I buy 2 tickets for uh..." I look at the choices, seeing that there's Teenage Mutant Turtles (That sounds corny.), Barbie (No, just no.), Guardians of the Galaxy (Maybe...), and Lucy... I blink a few times, and subconsciously say, "Lucy, and a large bag of popcorn." I wanna see that, not because of Lucy, but that awesome action shot. I look at the advertisement for the movie, showing a blond haired woman with curly hair raising her hand causing these guys in tuxedos to freeze in mid-air, and I leave the coupon, grab the bag of popcorn and tickets, walk back to Natsu, who's eyeing the popcorn excitedly, and I explain, "I got tickets for 'Lucy'." "Wait, Lucy's coming?!" He asks in surprise and instead of me getting angry I shake my head, replying, "No, it's a movie called, 'Lucy'." He blinks a few times, his onyx eyes filled with curiosity, causing me to get lost in them, and I almost drop the popcorn, so I quickly catch it, blushing, and he blushes, looking away. He... Blushed also? "Let's just go," Natsu quickly says, cutting off my train of thoughts, and I nod slowly, following him to the theater. "We're supposed to go to Theater 8," I say, and Natsu points to a sign with the number '8' glowing in white, asking, "This room?" "Yeah," I answer, walking past Natsu and up the ramp, revealing the massive screen showing previews of other movies premiering, and walk up the stairs, going to the very back of the room, Natsu following me, looking back at the trailers. I sit down at the seat, stuff some popcorn in my mouth, then hand the bag to Natsu, who takes a handful hungrily, stuffing it all into his mouth, his adorable smile plastered on his face, causing myself to flush, looking away, but a grin starts to form. I knew this popcorn would make him happy. Might as well make the best out of this, because we're probably going to become enemies once we get back, who cares anyway, it's for the best... Is it?

I look back at Natsu, sighing, who's staring at the screen in excitement, his eyes reflecting the light of the movie screen. He's too innocent for this, why would he even care about love, even about me, even though I care about him secretly? It's weird how he's the same age as me but still acts like a kid. I think it's cute, but then again when will he mature? I dunno... I hate how I have to fight him once we get back to the guild, but I can't let anyone besides Lucy to figure out about my feelings for him. The only danger is Natsu, which would be my demise. I realize that the movie is starting, so I snap out of my thoughts, focusing on the wide screen in front of me.

A few hours later...

Natsu's POV

As the credits start floating upwards on the screen, I stretch, whining tiredly, "Gray, I'm tired..." I feel his stare on me causing myself to snap out of it and I quickly recover, "F-forget I said that..." I blush, hoping the darkness would hide it, and Gray asks, "Why are you calling me by my real name now?" "Shut up, let's just go," I huff, getting out of my seat, storming down the stairs in embarrassment. He's going to figure it out at this rate, oh god. "What the hell, you angry fire breathing dragon!" Gray walks over to me, snapping, and I say, walking out of the theater, "Forget it, ice diva." "Why didn't you answer my question, idiot," Gray mutters, following me, and I turn around, saying crossly, "Look, forget I said that, otherwise I'm going to burn you to death." He stares at me in irritation and disappointment but also something else I can't make out... I shrug, turning back, and walk out the door, Gray following me in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Exhausting Day

As we walk out of the building, I ask, "Can we have lunch soon? I'm starting to get hungry..." My stomach grumbles, and Gray replies, "I guess, it's probably lunch time anyway." I immediately start walking in the direction of my favorite place to eat, the All You Can Eat Buffet. It has everything I love to eat, especially spicy chicken legs, I love those. "Yeah, you always eat those," Gray comments suddenly causing myself to ask in surprise, "Was I talking out loud?" "Yeah," Gray replies. Uh oh, what if I accidentally say that I like him out loud?! If he heard that, I'm probably going to die in embarrassment. We walk in awkward silence, looking around, observing the sight, our shoes making noises on the concrete boulevard. People walk by us, some adults with their kids, the sun shining up in the sky. "Hey... Uh, why aren't we fighting right now? Aren't you annoyed that I'm here?" I ask suddenly, breaking the silence, and Gray replies, "No... Wait, yeah!" I blink a few times in confusion, asking, "What?" "Remember, I'm just acting nice to you because we're stuck together," Gray answers quickly, and I say, "Fine, do what you wanna do." I look at the sky, disappointed. I wanna be friends with him, but I have to remember that he probably hates me after what I've done. I sort of feel bad for him now that I was the one who got us in this job, he probably thinks I'm an idiot who breathes fire. I bite my lip, looking straight ahead, seeing the buffet coming into view. "Here's the buffet," I comment, running towards it, Gray following me, and I push open the doors to see the massive room with the giant oval table piled with plates of foods of all sorts. I see the usual person at the front desk, Sadie, and wave to her, grinning. "Hi Natsu! Hi Gray," she blinks in confusion and he explains, scowling, "I'm stuck with him on a mission." I look away, pretending to be annoyed, and she answers, "Well, good luck! Coming here is a great idea, it fills your belly and gives you energy for whatever's planned for the day," she smiles, walking out of the booth and out onto the entrance, and we follow her to a booth on the side of the wall.

"What would you guys like to drink?" She asks, and I say, "Hot water." "Ice water," Gray says, and she nods, walking away to get our drinks, and he asks me, "Why do you get hot water? It just burns you, and whenever it touches my mouth it hurts." "Ice water gives me a brain freeze," I reply, standing up, and Gray says, "It doesn't give me a brain freeze." "That's because you're an ice mage," I huff, speed walking towards the towers of plates at the corner of the room, and he replies, "You're a fire dragon slayer, of course you're immune to anything hot." I snatch a plate from the table, then speed around the round, oval table, grabbing what I love, which is pretty much everything. After a few minutes of getting everything onto my plate, I speed towards our booth, eyeing my food hungrily, and sit down, looking up. Should I wait for Gray? I see Sadie walking towards me, carrying on one hand a ceramic cup with steam coming out of it and the other a clear glass tumbler filled with ice and water. "Thanks!" I grin as she sets the beverages down, and she blinks in confusion. "Why aren't you eating yet, Natsu?" She asks me in puzzlement and I reply, "I'm waiting for squinty eyes to get here." "That's nice of you," she says, still a bit confused, but says, "Well have fun with your friend, and enjoy the food!" Friend... I look out the window, biting my lip. Sure, call us that for now, but tomorrow, I have no idea what's going to happen. I snap out of it as I realize that Gray's approaching with about the same amount of food, looking at me, causing myself to blush, scowling, and he sets his food down on the wooden polished table, plopping onto the padded seat. "Why haven't you eaten yet?" He asks me in surprise, ripping out the chopsticks in the package, and I reply, looking away, "I was waiting for you." "Uh, the flame brain I know doesn't wait for his enemy," he sarcastically says, digging into his food, and I snap, "Shut it, just eat." I stuff gyoza into my mouth, chewing on the hot potsticker in satisfaction, savoring the taste. Once I gulp the food down, I gnaw off a part of the spicy chicken drumstick, feeling the hot seasoning go down my throat, causing myself to grin, gulping down the chicken.

"Do you like it here?" I ask him, stuffing a california roll in my mouth, then stuffing another, and Gray replies, "It's fine." "The food's so good as usual!" I grin, chomping up some ramen, and he nods, picking up tempura with his chopsticks smoothly. As he stuffs it in his mouth, I ask, "How do you use those stick things? You make it look so easy." After he gulps it down, he replies, "I dunno, I use them for stuff like this a lot, over time you get the hang of it. I don't think you should use them if you're going to stuff your plate in your mouth though," he laughs, taking a drink of his ice water, causing myself to protest, "Hey, I'm just really hungry!" Gray smirks, getting up. "I'm going for dessert now," he explains, walking towards the line of yummy looking desserts, so I say quickly, "Wait up!" I get up, running towards him excitedly, and we grab a plate, heading straight towards the sweets.

Half an hour later...

I rub my tummy, grinning widely, and Gray says painfully, "I ate too much again..." "Why does everyone get full? I don't get it, how do you get full?" I ask in confusion, getting up, and he replies, "You're stomach is an endless pit, you food monster." I scratch my head, laughing, and we walk out the door, leaving money at the table. "So, what now?" I ask, relying on Gray to think of ideas. "Uh, I dunno," he replies, then asks, "You have any ideas?" "The park? I can't really think of anything much, we're always out on jobs," I say, sitting down on the nearby bench. "Ugh, why did Erza even send us on this pointless, stupid mission," he sits down next to me, sighing, and I say, "Well, I think it's been pretty fun so fa-" I stop, realizing that Gray was looking at me like I was from another person, so I shrink in the shadows, saying, "Forget I said that..." "Uh, you're liking it so far? I guess I am a bit too, but that's because you're finally not acting so much of a fiery idiot you are," he gets up, hands in his pockets. Great, he thinks I'm a fiery idiot still, but I sort of am though... I stand up, looking around blankly, staring at the busy street in front of us, and he says, "Let's just walk somewhere." I make a surprised sound as he takes my hand, causing myself to flush, and he lets go as I start walking with him. Gray's never been this gentle before, like usually when he takes my hand he whips me out the window. "So, uh, where are we going?" I ask him, looking to the left to see the river that's between the two streets, and Gray says, "You tell me." "So we're walking around having no clue where we're going? That's... cool?" I ask cluelessly, and he snaps, "Look, I don't know what to do, so let's just walk." I shut up, looking away, realizing I was being my annoying self again. Well, I pissed him off again, that's wonderful.

Should I apologize? I dunno, I'm sort of scared to, like what will he think of me if I apologized to him? He'd probably think I'm crazy, but then again I think he already thinks I'm crazy. "Have you thought of anything to do yet?" He asks suddenly causing myself to snap out of my thoughts, and I say slowly, "No... But we could lay in the grass." "Okay," he turns to the park to the left of us, running out onto the hill of grass, and collapses onto the ground in the distance. I plop down next to him, laying my arms out, my vest exposing my chest. "So, how long are we going to do this?" I ask, staring out at the blue sky with the occasional cloud floating by, and he says, "However long you want to stay here." I go onto my side, staring at Gray who's watching the clouds move in the sky blankly. This is getting awkward really fast... Should I challenge him to a fight or prank him or something like that? I realize that Gray's staring at me back in confusion, his onyx eyes staring into mine, causing myself to flush, turning on my other side. "You think this is fun?" He asks me, not knowing what else to say, and I reply, "I don't know, do you?" I sneak a glance at him, and see that he shrugs, still staring at me. "Are you ticklish?" He suddenly asks out of the blue, causing myself to quickly shoot back, "No!" "Come on, I know you are," he smirks, and I bite my lip, but squeak as he pushes his finger into my side, causing myself to laugh, curling up into a ball, and he grins, saying, "You are! Where else?" "I-i'm not telling you!" I blush, poking his side, causing himself to choke out a laugh, and he tickles me back, causing myself to say, laughing, "S-stop!" "No, it's too funny when you're like this!"

This goes on for a long time until we collapse in exhaustion, breathing hard, and I say tiredly, "I hate you..." "I hate you too!" He ruffles my pink hair deviously, causing myself to blush a deep red, and I say, shooing his arm away, "S-stop!" He laughs, taking his arm away, and I ruffle his hair ruthlessly, smiling as he says, annoyed, "Seriously!" I laugh, staring out onto the sky, realizing the sun was setting, so I ask, "Wow, is the sun setting already?" "Yeah, I guess," Gray gets up, and I ask again, "So, what are we going to do now?" I watch him as he tilts his head, trying to think of an idea, and he says, "Let's go shooping." "Shopping?!" I shout in surprise, and he nods, explaining, "I'm going to make dinner." My jaw drops, and he says sarcastically, "Yes, I actually can cook, be my guest."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Katsu For Dinner!

Gray's POV

I start to head in the direction of the super market down the street, Natsu following me, and I feel his surprised stare on the back of my head. What should I make? Pizza? I dunno, maybe... Katsu? Sure, he's probably going to devour the chicken though, so I'll make an extra plate for him, jeez. "I never expected that you could cook," Natsu says, trudging behind me, and I reply, "Ur taught me how to." "That's cool," he remarks, causing myself to look up in surprise. He... Complimented me. Natsu complemented me?! I shake the thought out. He's just being nice because otherwise it would be torture. I sort of wish it could stay like this though... Just him and I having fun together. That's never going to happen, the others would probably think I'm crazy and besides Natsu doesn't even like me back. He probably likes Lucy anyway. I realize I'm walking past the super market so I turn back, but accidentally run into Natsu, who makes a surprised sound, and I quickly apologize, "Sorry, I went the wrong way." "I-it's okay, sorry," he says, startled, and I raise an eyebrow. I ran into him, and he apologized. Even if he was trying to stay nice, he would've snapped at me... I give him one last look, then turn to walk into the market.

I see crates everywhere full of fruits and vegetables, people milling around, some moms shopping and their children following them, curiously looking around. "So, what do we need here?" Natsu asks me, and I reply, "Chicken, katsu sauce, rice, and carrots? Or broccoli?" "Ooh, chicken!" He says excitedly, and I remind him, "You have to have something with it, not just meat." "Awww..." He frowns, but immediately smiles. I seriously feel like I'm taking care of an innocent, cute, monkey.

Author's Note

Katsu is a delicious dish, it's basically fried chicken, except it's more flat like salmon or steak on a plate and the skin is crispy, the chicken inside very tender and flavorful when it's fried right out of the frier. I guess it would sort of be like teriyaki, it's usually cut into strips so multiple people can eat it and you can also enjoy the tasty meat with katsu sauce, which is a sweet, dark chocolate brown colored sauce. I mean I haven't really seen any restaurants offer this dish, but my mom knows more because she's the one who actually makes it in my awesome life xD

Back to the story :3

I make my way to the crate of carrots, and I rip out a bag from the roll of plastic bags at the side of the crates, shaking it open, and take about 2 handfuls of carrots. It's not like I'm preparing for a feast... Am I? That pink hungry idiot probably could eat as much as 10 people would, but then again he mostly eats the meat. I skim the room, looking for the bags of rice in the store, and spot them, walking towards the area. Once I get there, I pick up a small bag of rice, and Natsu offers, "I could hold that if you want." I give the bag to him, saying, "Thanks." Then, I walk to the meat section, and mill along the cases of wrapped, raw chicken, taking a few and giving the bag of broccoli to Natsu who's hungrily eyeing the chicken. He even stares at uncooked chicken like it's his prey? Dang he's hungry. I walk to one of the cashiers waiting for a customer to come, and set down the chicken on the conveyor belt, Natsu setting down the grains and vegetables after. We watch him scan the food, hearing a beeping sound every time the red light from the hand-held scanner would touch the bar code sticker plastered on the items. "That will be 8063 jewel," he reads off the screen, stuffing them in a paper bag, and I pull out some money from my pocket, handing it to him, and he stuffs it in the open drawer that comes out behind the desk, saying, "Have a nice day." Natsu picks up the bag, holding it like it was a feather, and we walk out of the super market in silence. "Alright, back to the house," I say, and he nods, following me quietly.

After about 15 minutes of walking on the concrete streets and through the crowds, we arrive at our rented house. Natsu walks past me, opening the door, causing myself to panic. Shoot! I forgot to lock the door! Wait, did I see any keys? I crouch down, looking under the carpet, and sure enough I see house keys. Wow, I totally forgot about the keys before... I pick them up, standing up, and walk through the doorway, shutting and locking the door. "Okay, I'm going to start cooking, you can relax," I say, thinking that if Natsu tried to help, the food might taste just a bit weird. "I'm not letting you do all the work!" He exclaims, and I sigh, saying, "Fine, you can set the table and get out the gadgets I need, but you're not going to cook." "Okay!" He grins, and I blink a few times. Usually he would snap some sort of rejecting sentence but he obediently listened to me... He even seems excited, holy crap. I rub my forehead, reminding myself that it was just today that we were being nice to each other, and get focused on cooking because I'm hungry myself.

An hour later...

Natsu's POV

After pouring hot water into my glass, I set the pitcher on the counter, wiping my forehead in exhaustion, collapsing onto the chair. "Dinner's ready," Gray announces, and I watch him in excitement as he walks over to me, carrying a delicious smelling fried chicken thing which is katsu I think, and it smells heavenly... "Did you really... Make this?" I ask in surprise as he sets the plates of cooked broccoli, rice, and katsu onto the table in front of me. "Uh, yeah, why?" Gray sits down with a serving spoon for the rice, also utensils for himself. "It looks and smells amazing, so I wasn't sure if you actually cooked it," I laugh awkwardly, scratching my head, and he... Blushes? "Thanks..." He drifts off, not knowing what else to say, and I grin, taking the whole plate of katsu and dumping the chicken onto my plate. "I have 2 more plates waiting, hopefully it's enough for that endless pit of yours," Gray says, getting up to get another plate, and I wait for him. Maybe I should get a bit of the rice and vegetable... I clumsily grab the spoon, putting some rice onto my plate, and grab 2 little tree-like greens from another plate. Once Gray gets back, he sets down another plate of the tasty looking katsu. "Let's eat?" Gray asks me and I nod in excitement. I stuff half of it in my mouth, causing my eyes to widen in surprise as the crispy skin sizzles in my mouth, the tender meat after it filling flavor into my mouth. "Do you like it?" Gray asks as he stuffs a spoonful of rice into his mouth, following up with a slice of katsu, and I nod vigorously. "It's amazing!" I say, a wide smile spreading across my face, causing him to grin, replying, "I'm glad you like it, the other one is yours, so don't take this one." "Okay," I say, stuffing more of this delicious meat into my mouth. I decide to try the rice with the chicken, stuffing a handful of it into my mouth with a few strips of chicken, and make a sound of delight. "The rice with the chicken tastes awesome!" I comment, and he tries to keep a straight face but I can tell he's smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note

Sorry minna! School started so I wasn't able to update, but here's the next chapter ^^ This is where it starts to get dark though, just warning you . But enjoy, and have a nice day :3

Chapter 6:

How did I miss this?! This food is amazing! I look at Gray in excitement, and he looks into my eyes, causing myself to blush, looking away. "What is it?" He asks me, and I quickly reply, "N-nothing..." I hate it when he looks into my eyes, it gets me all flustered because they're really mesmerizing... Ack, I should stop thinking like that! My face reddens even more, causing Gray to ask, "Seriously, what is-" "N-never mind!" I stammer quickly, stuffing the last of the third dish of katsu into my mouth, savoring the taste in my mouth, but I look at him in concern as he releases a small sigh. "Are you okay?" I ask after swallowing it down and he quickly says, "What, yeah, I'm okay." "No you're not, tell me," I insist, gulping down the last of my meal, and he switches the subject abruptly, slowly saying, "Hey, I'm going to bed now..." As he gets up, I run to the door, blocking him from passing, saying, "Tell me first." "No, I can't, not to you, just shut up and let me through," he scowls, and I shoot back, "Why not? We have to listen to each other for once, until morning I thought." He makes an annoyed sound but slowly explains, "I... I sighed because I think you're a idiotic monkey, now let me through." I grit my teeth, but move away, letting him move into the room. I watch him walk past me, and blink a few times in surprise as he takes off his shirt and shoves his pants off, causing myself to blush. He throws open the covers on the bed, climbing in. He wasn't shirtless all day? Now that's a first... He turns on his side, facing the wall in silence. A lump forms in my throat as I remember that the day is over and tomorrow we're going back to being rivals again... I slowly take off my vest and trousers, walking towards the bed in emptiness, and climb into the bed on the other side, facing the other wall. I'm still scared of what will happen tomorrow, this mission really messed it up for me... I can't get Gray out of my head and I wanna stay with him, but he has his own life and probably hates me anyway. I tug off my vest and trousers, dropping them besides the bed, and climb into the bed. It's just like Lucy's, really comfortable and reassuring, but it's still not comforting me. Why do I have to think about him now? Why can't I just go to sleep and forget about everything? Maybe if I just drift off, it'll help... I put the pillow back in its place, staring at the ceiling in silence. Today was really fun with you, Gray... I love your company, I wanna stay with you, but I know I'll just annoy you every second I'm around you, besides, everyone will think I'm crazy... I look away, staring at his raven hair quietly. Why weren't we friends before? Why was I so rude to you? I wish I could turn back time, but then again, you'd probably hate me so I guess there's no point anymore, is there... I bite my lip, pinching my side. Should I still pretend to hate him like he hates me? I dunno... I feel my eyelids droop, and I let them close. Maybe I will stay away from him so I don't make myself feel even more guilty than I am, who cares about me anyway...

Gray's POV

I start to feel his warm breath on my back, realizing he fell asleep. Poor guy, he must be really tired. I turn to face Natsu, looking at his tranquil face. He's so innocent, despite his fiery playful nature, and he's always the cute spiky pink hero that everyone likes. A sinking feeling goes through me, realizing all I'm doing is hurting him, calling him names and fighting with him all the time... Why did I even start clashing with him in the first place? Now he thinks I hate him, well everyone thinks I hate him now... Sure he can be annoying as hell, but I love him too... He likes Lucy and Lucy likes him though, so what's the point of hopelessly liking him? I'm a guy too, and also he hates me. We were just trying to be nice to each other for the mission, it's not like we're going to stay nice to each other too, it'll just be the same again... Will it? I don't want this day to end, I'm scared what he'll do tomorrow... I'll just cross my fingers and wish for the best I guess... I move closer to Natsu, feeling like I should do something, scanning him, and decide to kiss him on the forehead, blushing, causing myself to back away, biting my lip. Might as well call it a night... I glance at Natsu one more time before turning away from him, my eyes closing, causing myself to fall asleep.

The next day...

Natsu's POV

I slowly open my eyes, groggily looking ahead of me, and feel something cold and smooth on my hand and on the side of my face. What am I'm sleeping on... I look down and alarms go off in my head causing me to jet up, blushing furiously, and stammer, "C-crap!" "F-finally you woke up finally, jeez, I couldn't move at all without waking you up..." Gray manages to say, annoyed, and I flush, apologizing, "S-sorry..." I watch him climb out of bed silently, hastily walking out of the bedroom. That was so embarrassing... Why does my forehead feel weird? I rub it, my brow furrowing, and shrug, getting out of bed tiredly. I haven't been to the guild ever since yesterday morning, I'm starting to miss Lucy and the others... I shove on my clothes, walking out of the room, and out the door. Now that Gray's gone, I can take a faster route... I brace to run, and sprint for a few yeards, then rocket diagonally up into the air, fire spiraling around my ankles as I look ahead, feeling the breeze shoot past me. The wind feels nice, I forgot what it felt like for a while... I look down, seeing the outline of the guild building, and I jet downwards, plummeting to the ground, and land swiftly in front of the entrance. I wonder what happened while I was gone... I open the door in curiosity and see everyone talking, eating breakfast, except I noticed a few different things.

Wendy and Romeo were sitting at a table together, talking as if they were best friends, Jellal came to visit Erza, Carla was being nice to Happy, and Lucy was with... Loke?! I blink a few times as I realize that people were starting to notice me, so I awkwardly walk in, grinning nervously. Lucy and Happy see me, causing them to bolt towards me, and I make a surprised sound as they hug me which seems more of a strangle. "Natsu!" They both say excitedly, and I choke out a small, "Hey." "How did the job go? Was it fun? What did you guys do?" Lucy asks me, and I tilt my head, trying to think of an answer. "It was... Okay. We didn't really do that much, just the usual," I crack a grin, and Happy states suddenly, "You seem different..." I gulp, figuring out quickly that the subject was getting a bit dangerous. "Why? I'm still Natsu!" I force a grin, trying to be the usual energetic self they knew, but Lucy leans closer, not buying it. "Really, what happened?" She asks me, causing myself to back away, smiling nervously, and say, "N-nothing big!" She sighs, moving away, stating, "I'm going to figure it out, whether you like it or not!" Oh great, maybe it wasn't a good idea to come to the guild. But the food! I take a whiff, causing myself to jet towards the smell, realizing that the usual line of food was set on the table in the back, and I grab a bit of everything, piling my plate until it's a breakfast mountain. I head to where the crew was, eyeing the food hungrily, and sit down next to Gajeel, who's talking with Levy. I look up, seeing Erza and Jellal smiling, talking to each other, but they notice I'm here and Erza asks, "Good morning, Natsu, how was your day yesterday?" I shift uncomfortably, remembering that she was the one who punished me, and I look away, saying, "It was okay." "What happened?" She persists, causing myself to chew on my lip, feeling even more uncomfortable, and manage to say, "Nothing really..." "Tell me, or Gray's going to answer for you-" "Okay, fine! We decided to get along for the day, walking around the town and checking out stuff, that's it," I blurt out, flustered, and she makes a disappointed sound, causing myself to stare at her in confusion. "Why did you-" "Never mind, you should eat," Erza says, pointing to the mountain of pancakes, waffles, bacon, and eggs on my plate. "Okay..." I drift off, stuffing food into my mouth uncomfortably. This isn't going well... It's going to turn even worse if Gray comes- I hear the door creak open, causing myself to sigh, seeing that I jinxed myself. Well, this is going to be a long morning...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Betrayed

I look down at my plate, avoiding eye contact, mechanically eating my food in silence, and I feel a whoosh of air as he walks past me, sending shivers along my side. What am I supposed to act like if everyone thinks we're enemies but I want to be friends with him? Especially if he sits at our table. Maybe I'll leave when he sits down, I don't know... "Dude, what's up with you?" Gajeel asks me, staring at me and I reply in confusion, looking up, "Uh... Nothing?" "Natsuuu, we're all worried!" Happy tells me, causing a lump to form in my throat. "A-ah, it's really nothing big-" "It really is nothing, just leave the guy alone," I look at Gray in surprise as he sets his plate down, settling on the opposite corner of the table next to Erza. "And when did you start to defend Natsu?" Carla asks, one eyebrow raised causing Gray to fidget in annoyance, stuffing his mouth with food.

After a long moment of awkward silence, Erza finally breaks the rigid air by clearing her throat, saying, "We haven't welcomed Gray to the table yet..." Unsure what to say, we sit around the table like statues, looking around anxiously, until Juvia barrels into Gray, hugging him against the wall, squealing, "Gray-sama! Juvia misses you!" I quickly look away as she buries her blue head under Gray's chin, and Gray chokes out, "H-hey..." Everyone else sighs in relief, going back to eating breakfast, and Juvia stops strangling him, backing away, her motor mouth activating. "Hey... I think I'm going to go," I guiltily look down at the leftover food on my plate, causing everyone to gawk at me. "B-but you didn't finish!" Wendy stammers in surprise, staring at my plate, and I pinch my side, trying to act nonchalant. "I-i'm full," I say unconvincingly, walking away from the table, feeling everyone's stares on me. Yeah, coming to the guild was a horrible idea for sure... I quicken my pace, speed walking out of the door hastily.

Gray's POV

What's up with him? When I came in the guild hall, I expected him to chat a storm with Lucy, having 5 plates of food, instead he was looking down at his food unappetizingly, mechanically eating spoonfuls of his plate. "I have the feeling I should check on Natsu..." Lucy says, unsure of what just happened. "He acted really weirdly, I'm worried..." Happy looks down at the table anxiously, Carla reassuring him, "It's okay, he's probably going to recover." Ugh, the job really screwed up everything between Natsu and the rest of us... "It was probably the job... What did you do to him Gray?" Levy asks me, everyone suddenly glancing at me, causing myself to snap back, "What did you think I do? Make him a quiet, sad idiot? I took care of him, and you know how terrifying it is!" I breathe hard, my chest rising and falling, causing everyone to avert their stares to their food. "Look, I'm concerned too... Maybe it's the side effect of him being around his arch enemy for a whole day," I sigh, finishing my plate, and I immediately regret saying what I said as I see the look on Lucy's face. "So it was my fault?" She asks quietly, standing up, and Erza reassures her, "It wasn't, but maybe we took it too far." "Aye..." Happy says, looking at the door. Lucy suddenly stands up, causing us to stare at her in surprise, and she says, "I have to apologize, you guys enjoy your breakfast." She flashes us a smile then walks around the table, heading to the door, and we watch her walk out of the guild, the door closing behind her. Hopefully she'll help the poor guy, I think he's a bit lost after yesterday... I go back to eating, listening to the conversation Gajeel started.

Natsu's POV

As I walk along the gravel road, I start to feel droplets of water dampening my skin, water running down my chest. Well, that was a failure... I'll remind myself not to go to the guild if I know that Gray's going to come. I sigh, looking ahead to see the damp, winding gray line disappearing off into the distance, the sky a dull gray. I look around me to see no one close to me, causing a sinking feeling to go through me. Well, I've never had to experience something like this before... Except when Igneel disappeared, but this is different. Everyone's having fun, chatting together, eating breakfast with their dream boy or girl, while I'm just walking down this endless path with no one, the rain drenching me. Yeah, this is new... The sky darkens even more, warning myself to get to shelter, so I stop, pondering what to do. I guess I could go home, but no one's there, nothing to do- I look up in surprise as I hear someone in the distance calling my name, causing myself to whirl around, and see Lucy running towards me, breathing hard.

"Natsu!" She stops in front of me, her chest rising and falling, and I say in surprise, "L-lucy, what are you doing here?" After she catches her breath, she looks up at me, saying, "I-i came to apologize, you know, about the mission..." "W-wait, it was... Your idea?" I ask in astonishment, staring at her in bewilderment. S-she was the one behind this?! "Yes... I thought... I thought that it would help mend some grudges, but it made it even worse... I'm sorry, Natsu..." She drifts off, looking down at the ground, and I quickly reassure her, "I-it's okay, nothing big-" "B-but it is big! Everyone's confused-" "Everyone's happy with me gone," I say, turning away, but Lucy grabs my vest, saying desperately, "We all missed you, Natsu!" So, they do? I start to soften a bit but regain my composure as I say, my voice cracking a bit, "It's okay, I'm not going back to the guild, if Gray's there at least..." She stares at me in disappointment, saying quietly, "Okay... Come visit though, even if Gray's there once you're more comfortable." "You should go back to the guild, Loke's probably worried," I say to her, looking up at the sky which is currently raining cats and dogs. I look back down in surprise as she wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a hug,

"S-sorry about Loke, I didn't really have anyone besides Levy to talk to, so he saw you were gone and came over... Usually you'd always be there so Happy and I could hang out with you," she pulls away, looking at the ground, blushing. So, basically, she sent me on a mission with Gray to try to get us to "bond" together when he hates me? Also Loke "came over" to Lucy while I was gone. Well, I have to admit, it was sort of fun... I flush, hoping the darkness would hide it, and I realize that Lucy's gone, so I quickly run through the storm, in the direction of my house.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Another Experience With Him

Gray's POV

As thunder crashes, rumbling the building, we see the door burst open, Lucy drenched, causing a few girls to scream as lightning flashes behind her, and my first thought is: Where's Natsu? I watch Loke bolt out of his chair, running to Lucy in concern, and I run up to her, worried about Natsu. "Lucy! Are you okay?" Loke asks worriedly, touching Lucy's cheek in concern, and she nods, shivering. "Where's Natsu?" I ask, trying not to sound anxious, and she says, "I-i'm not sure, I ran away after I... Talked to him for a bit." I glance in horror as a puddle forms behind Lucy, causing myself to sprint past her, bolting out the door.

Crap, I thought Natsu was with Lucy... After running a few yards, I create an ice platform, riding on it through the storm, squinting ahead. It's raining cats and dogs out here... He might get sick. I speed through the splintering wind at break-neck speed, looking around for Natsu, and see nothing. Maybe he went home or somethin- I see a figure running along the path, drenched, so I jet down towards it, realizing it was Natsu, and he looks up in surprise, causing him to sprint out of the way, panicking, but realizes it's me as I land, walking up to him in concern.

"G-gray!" He says over the loud thunder in confusion, and I ask him, worried, "What are you doing out here?" "What are _you _doing out here?" He asks, and I notice him shivering a bit, causing myself to bite my lip, resisting the temptation to grab him already and bring him to my house. "I saw that you weren't with Lucy when she came back so I decided to look for you," I say nonchantly, trying not to sound like I wasn't worried about him and he asks slowly, "Why...?" I grit my teeth, saying annoyed, "You don't need to know, just get to shelter or I'll take you with me." He blinks a few times, clearly confused about what I just said, so I grab him by his waist, creating another ice platform, and he squeaks, fidgeting nervously as I take off into the powerful, chilly winds.

"A-ah, w-what are you doing?!" He chokes out as we fly onto the platform, myself still holding him embarrassingly. "T-taking you to shelter since you wouldn't go yourself," I say quickly, staring ahead. "And, u-um, why are you hugging me-" I quickly push him off me, causing him to lose his balance, falling off the platform in surprise, but I catch him, saying, "This is better?" He grabs my arm with his other hand, pulling himself on, his face heated up in embarrassment as well, standing next to me as we fly through the storm in silence.

"So... W-when did you start caring about me-" "I don't care about you," I quickly cut him off, looking away, but he persists, still astonished about what I did, "Then why did you even take me with you?" Maybe I should've left him out there, this is a bit irritating. "F-forget it..." I drift off, looking away, wishing that he would close his mouth so I wouldn't have to guard my reasons from him. "S-sorry..." He looks down, shivering even more, causing myself to stare in surprise. He... Apologized? I shake the thought off as I see the roof of my house in the distance, causing myself to say, "We're heading down." We rocket downwards, causing Natsu to grab hold of the nearest thing which is me, blushing again, and we land at the door to my house, both drenched, Natsu shaking. Poor guy, he must be freezing. "Once we get in, we probably should dry off," I say, ignoring his stares, opening the door to reveal the inside of my house. I take off my soaked blue T-shirt and Natsu makes a sound, reminding myself to say, "Oh yeah, you should at least take off your vest." "O-okay..." He says in a small voice, and I snatch some towels from the bathroom, walking out and flush, seeing Natsu shirtless, causing myself to quickly look at something else, giving him a towel, saying, "Dry yourself off." I see his teeth chattering, realizing I had the house temperature turned down, causing myself to quickly switch on the heater, then open my pantry which contains food of all sorts, some seasonal. For instance, the hot chocolate.

5 minutes later...

"Come sit down," I tell him, finally setting 2 mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, steam rising over it. "What is it?" He asks, pacing over to the table, and smells the scent, causing him to sit down, intrigued about figuring out what the "mysterious concoction I brewed up" was. "Hot chocolate, you don't know what that is?" I watch as he tilts his head, expression blank, causing myself to raise an eyebrow, but say, "Just try it." I blow on my drink, causing the steam to disappear, the whipped cream frozen, and I sip out of the straw, enjoying the cool, sweet taste in my mouth. "It's... Really good. Why does everything you make taste amazing?" He asks in a matter-of-factly way, looking up at me, causing myself to blink in surprise, taken aback about the comment he made. "Uh... You complimented me..." I point out, slowly taking another sip, and he asks bluntly, "What about it?" I stare at him like he's another planet, causing him to shrink a bit, realizing what he was saying, his cheeks pink. "I thought the mission was over," I slowly say, getting up to brew more, and he stammers, "I-it is, I didn't mean to-" "It's okay?" I ask, surprised at myself that I said that. This is getting awkward really fast...

I fill my mug again in silence, not knowing what else to say, when Natsu breaks the silence. "Uh, I know this is weird, but... Thanks." He looks down at his drink, forcing back a smile, causing myself to almost trip over myself as I walk to the table, and I manage to ask, "What did you say?" "You heard me!" He says, not wanting to say it again, and I exhale, leaving ice crystals on the table, and gulp down my drink, thinking about what he just said and how weirder the situation just got.

Natsu's POV

Maybe I shouldn't have said that... I look at the wall in embarrassment, avoiding his gaze. How did I get myself into this? First Gray snatches me and takes me to his house, then hospitalizes me, making this amazing tasting drink, and I compliment and thank him. What's going to happen next? "I have a question..." Gray asks me, drifting off, and I look up nervously, bracing for the worst, and he asks, "Why are you acting... Weird? Strangely nice?" "Same for you," I cross my arms, staring back at him, causing the ravenette to say, "I'm not answering, it's nothing you need to know!"

"Tell meee-"

"Are we going to start this again-"

"We can stop if you tell me."

"Seriously, no."

"Please?"

"No, I said no, no means no!"

"Pleeeease?"

"Nope."

"Come on! You know you wanna-"

"Shut up!"

"I won't shut up until you tell me."

"Fine!" Gray stops, clearly irritated, and says, "I took you in because you weren't with Lucy and water was literally entering the room! Is that enough?" I scowl, not convinced, arguing back, "I wasn't with Lucy because I wanted to be alone, but of course you come out of nowhere, treating me like a little kid." He opens his mouth to fight back, but closes it, sighing, saying, "You pretty much act like a little kid, and why would I let a guildie walk in a storm? In the middle of nowhere?" I look up, surprised, and say slowly, "I didn't know you cared..." He chokes out in response, "I-i don't care, just drop it." "I want to kn-" "Please..." He looks down, looking hurt, causing myself to stop in surprise, clamping my mouth shut. "Leave if you want, the storm's gone," He says expressionlessly, pointing out the window, which reveals a drizzle, the sky a bit lighter. He probably doesn't want me to keep persisting, so I guess I'll leave... But I still want to talk to him a bit more, to try and figure out what he's hiding from me... I get up, chewing on my lip, walking to the bathroom to get my vest, and after I shove the piece of clothing on, I walk past him, avoiding his stare, and say quietly, "Bye..." I open the door, not daring to look behind me, and shut the door, walking away in silence.


End file.
